


illuminated darkness

by ghostfaeries



Series: Tales of Beasts and Beings [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Angst, Autistic Tim Drake, Batfamily (DCU) Feels, Brotherly Love, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fantasy, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Jason Todd, Kid Tim Drake, Nightmares, Phoenix Jason Todd, Platonic Cuddling, Shapeshifting, Sibling Bonding, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Tim Drake-centric, Urban Fantasy, Werewolf Bruce Wayne, Werewolves, Wingfic, hints to, shapeshifter tim drake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:42:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27514774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostfaeries/pseuds/ghostfaeries
Summary: “What’s wrong?” Jason asked.“Nothing,” Tim said, too fast, too skittish. He’d never believe that.“Bullshit. Something obviously is, or you wouldn’t have come to my room in the middle of the night. Just spit it out now.” Tim opened his mouth to object, but Jason waltzed right over him. “I’m a bat, we’re stubborn as hell, you know that. I can play this game far longer than you.”~Tim has a nightmare. Cuddles ensue.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
Series: Tales of Beasts and Beings [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1979806
Comments: 23
Kudos: 422





	illuminated darkness

**Author's Note:**

> Hello I am here with a part two that was not planned to be written today. At all. I haven't been great and I wanted some fluff so I wrote this. I already had the idea for this so I knew where I was going and just kinda kept going until I was done
> 
> This is kind of a direct sequel, set only a few days or maybe weeks after the last fic. Most of these fics won't be like that probably, they'll take place in different parts of their lives
> 
> I didn't really edit this bc it's almost midnight so uhhh forgive me for any potential mistakes
> 
> Not many warnings, just references to a nightmare and vague hints towards neglect, both pretty minor
> 
> Oh btw, for those who read the first fic before i edited the authors note, jason is a phoenix now and he has slight fire powers (he's still growing so they're not fully developed yet.

Tim awoke with a start, throat scratchy from screaming. He didn’t know what he’d been dreaming about, he never did, just that it made his heart race. 

It was okay, he was okay, he reminded himself. He was just in his room in the manor. Everything was fine.

Even with those reassurances he knew to be true, the electricity buzzing under his skin did not go away, and he was thrumming with anxiety still. 

A few days ago, Bruce had noticed Tim’s eye bags. He’d said Tim could always come to him if he had trouble sleeping. Nightmares counted under that, right? Should he...? 

Tim hesitated, clutching his bat plushie, his childhood comfort item, to his chest, rubbing his thumb over the worn fur in a soothing motion.

It was probably best not to disturb Bruce, he decided. Tim didn’t know how sincere he had been. He’d seemed genuine, but Tim was familiar with adults and empty promises. 

He settled back under the covers, trying to chase its fleeting warmth. The Drake residency was always cold, like the warmth had left with his parents. Wayne Manor usually was the perfect temperature, likely Alfred’s doing.

Usually.

Right now, Tim was shivering, still trying to shake off the cold hands gripping his rapidly beating heart. 

He tossed and turned, staring into the swirling darkness. His vision at night was better than the average person, even in human form, so he could make out most of the room just fine. The outline of the closet, the door to the adjacent bathroom, the windowsill.

As a kid, he’d been afraid of the dark. He’d only developed night vision a couple years ago, and before that he used to leave a nightlight on. It wasn’t that he was afraid of monsters, this was Gotham, he saw monsters on the streets every day. The dark just seemed so... alive. It seemed to swirl and tumble, like it was about to lunge at him and consume him. 

But then he’d gotten his night vision, and his fear had melted like snow in the sun. The dark wasn’t as frightening when you could see through it. 

Except, in his dreams, he couldn’t. The night was back to how it had been before, mysterious and deep and _scary._

After a while of looking at the ceiling, he decided he wasn’t going to fall asleep again any time soon. Not with the nightmare lingering on the edge of consciousness still, ready to strike as soon as he closed his eyes. He sat up, pondering over what to do. 

Going to Bruce would be scary, but he wasn’t the only person in the house... Tim pushed himself off the bed, paws hitting the floor instead of feet. He immediately felt calmer, like some of the tension had melted away with his skin. He padded out of the room, towards Jason’s only a few doors away. He turned back so he could open the door, peeking into the room. 

Jason was a lump on the bed, just a mountain of boy, feathers, and blankets. His head popped out from under the covers at the sound of the door opening, his hair not unlike a bird’s nest. 

“Tim? That you?” 

Tim swallowed. “Uh. Yeah. Sorry I woke you up, I’ll just- I'll just go okay bye Jason sorry again!” 

He ducked back into the corridor, morphing into a cat again, having decided to just return to his room and wait until he fell asleep. Or hide out somewhere else in the house. That sounded good, too. 

There was a flapping sound behind him and suddenly Jason was right there in front of him. He folded his slightly glowing wings on his back, looking at Tim with... something he couldn’t decipher. Jason’s eyebrows were slightly furrowed, but not in an angry way, a faint wrinkle in his forehead. His mouth was cast slightly downward, but not overly so. 

“Can you shift back, please?” 

Tim wanted to be stubborn and remain in cat form, but he also didn’t want Jason to be angry, so he turned into a human again. 

“What’s wrong?” Jason asked. 

“Nothing,” Tim said, too fast, too skittish. He’d never believe that. 

“Bullshit. Something obviously is, or you wouldn’t have come to my room in the middle of the night. Just spit it out now.” Tim opened his mouth to object, but Jason waltzed right over him. “I’m a bat, we’re stubborn as hell, you know that. I can play this game far longer than you.”

“I- Are you sure?” Tim’s gaze strayed to the wall on the right, suddenly nervous. The last time he’d gone to his parents after a nightmare, they hadn’t been happy he’d woken them up. Jason didn’t seem mad, just annoyed that Tim wouldn’t tell him why he’d awoken him. 

Tim took a shot in the dark. 

“I, uh, I had a nightmare.” 

Jason’s eyes softened, his forehead smoothing out. “Oh, Babybird, come here.” He opened his arms. 

Tim stared at him. Jason jerked his arms, as if to urge him on. 

“Come on, you must know what a hug looks like.” 

Tim stayed silent, unspoken words tangible in the air.

Jason’s arms lowered slightly as he processed the information, shoulders slumping, and then he was surging forward, pulling Tim close. He was comfortingly warm, like a gentle hearth, all softness and glow. 

“’m not a bird,” Tim mumbled against Jason’s pyjama shirt. 

Jason snorted softly. “You’re my baby brother and I’m a bird, so that makes you Babybird, that’s just how it is. Nothing to be done about it.” 

Tim stiffened. Jason pulled away, but kept his hands on Tim’s shoulder. 

“Shit, did I do something wrong?” 

Tim quickly shook his head. “No, no, I just... I’m your brother?” 

Jason’s eyebrows did a weird thing again. “Yeah, of course. You became my little brother when Bruce took you in. Hell, you became my little brother when I caught you mid-air. You’re part of this family now.” 

There seemed to be a lump in Tim’s throat that wouldn’t go away, no matter how many times he swallowed. 

“Oh.” 

Jason snorted again. “Yeah, oh. Now come on, we’ll go to Bruce so we can use his big, fluffy wolf body as pillow.” 

“Are you sure? Won’t he be mad we woke him up?” 

Jason slung his arm around Tim’s shoulders and began leading him down the hall. “Nah, I’ve done it plenty of times before, he doesn’t mind. He gets nightmares too, you know. He understands.” He brought his mouth close to Tim’s ear. “Don’t tell him I said this, but he’s secretly a cuddler.” 

Tim couldn’t help but giggle at that. _The Batman,_ a cuddler. Next you were going to tell him Bruce had more kids hiding somewhere, as if two – three now, his mind supplied helpfully – wasn't enough already. 

The two of them stopped in front of a door, not far from Tim’s and Jason’s rooms. Jason didn’t knock, just opened it silently, gently tugging Tim with him. 

Bruce stirred immediately, due to his wolf senses or his Batman ones, Tim didn’t know. Maybe both. 

“Jason?” 

“And Tim,” Jason added, walking toward the huge bed, wings fluttering slightly to gesture for Tim to come with. “Make some room, old man.” He – unnecessarily so – flew up on the bed, slipping under the covers and making himself comfortable against Bruce’s side. 

“Get over here, Babybird.” 

Tim hesitated for a second, but followed soon after. Jason created a small space between him and Bruce, gesturing for Tim to lay down. 

“You can shift, if you want,” Bruce said as Tim laid his head down. “It’s often more comfortable when emotions are too high. Being an animal means you process them easier; they don’t seem as complicated. I can shift as well, if you’d prefer. Both Dick and Jason enjoy using my fur as pillow.” There was a smile in his voice. 

Tim didn’t know what to respond at first. He’d never had someone else ask about his comforts, what he wanted. Jason seemed to like Bruce’s wolf form. 

“I, uh. I think I want to stay human. But, maybe, you can shift? If that’s okay.” 

“Of course it is. I asked, didn’t I?” 

Bruce lifted his hand, slowly reaching for Tim. It was perfectly clear in the dark for him, something Bruce must’ve known, but he was still careful, giving Tim the opportunity to move away if he wanted to.

He didn’t want to.

Bruce carded his fingers through Tim’s hair a few times, so gently Tim could have cried. Then, a slight shudder went through his body and he transformed. 

The first thing Tim thought, was that Bruce was _huge_. Jason hadn’t exaggerated when he’d called him big. Bruce was over twice Tim’s size, even bigger as a wolf than as a human, way larger than a regular wolf. 

Bruce’s fur was black, with streaks of silver threading through it. His eyes were an unnatural blue, a colour that didn’t exist in normal mature wolves. Tim had read that in a biology book once. 

Bruce nosed at Tim’s cheek, the sudden cold of his snout shocking Tim into a startled laugh. Bruce grunted happily, curling around Tim and Jason so they were enveloped in warm softness. Tim’s head was tucked under Bruce’s chin, hand threaded through his fur. Bruce's torso was underneath both him and Jason, serving as the pillow Jason had called him earlier. 

Tim sighed, content. The darkness didn’t seem so harsh anymore, not with Bruce’s fur under his fingers and Jason’s slightly glowing wings softening the edges. The nightmare wasn’t lurking around the corner anymore. He was safe here. 

“Hey, Jason?” Tim mumbled into the illuminated dark. 

“Hm?” 

“I’m really glad you’re my brother.” 

Jason didn’t answer verbally, but there was a rustle of feathers and then a wing was folding over Tim, holding him gently in a cocoon of warmth. Tim buried his head in Bruce’s fur and let himself drift away, off to a peaceful dreamland of gentle blue eyes and soft red feathers, sleeping all the way through the night. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked that f l u f f


End file.
